SchifferLine 3 May 2010

Timely Real Estate News……………………………………………………3 May 2010

Cinco de Mayo is a great excuse for celebration and delicious margaritas !

We can find just about any excuse to celebrate — from St. Patrick’s Day to Oktoberfest to All Saints Day. Cinco de Mayo — May 5 — is another day to celebrate, si? May 5 does not commemorate Mexican Independence Day as many assume, but rather celebrates the victory over the French army at The Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is primarily a regional holiday celebrated in the Mexican state capital city of Puebla and throughout the state of Puebla, with some limited recognition in other parts of Mexico, and especially in U.S. cities with a significant Mexican population. Mexico’s Independence Day is actually September 16. The French wanted control of Mexico and sent a force of 6,500 to march on Mexico City, but the Mexican army with just 4,500 fought bravely and defeated the superior French forces on May 5, only to see the French returning a year later with 30,000 and Napoleon III successfully installed the Archduke of Austria Maximillian as head of Mexico. Maximillian’s rule was short lived — he was gone three years later when the United States helped Mexico throw the French out.

You would think that as part of their celebration, the Mexicans would toast their famous ‘margarita’ drink. But again, history shows that there are many stories and myths about how the margarita was born. We know it wasn’t in Puebla, there are a number of stories floating around, including one from Carlos “Danny” Herrera in Tijuana in 1938 that was mixing a drink for a client that was allergic to hard liquor, and the beat goes on. Frankly, I won’t think about it come this Wednesday, May 5. Who really cares when it tastes soooo good! Salt or no Salt?

Tweet? Even if you don’t “tweet”, you can get a complete update on Twitter by simply plugging in: http://twitter.com/I_405. This site will give you a complete update on the latest news for construction. Warning: some tweets and information from Caltrans also contains people commenting on the updates but the information is there.. Still, if you are using Sepulveda Boulevard or the 405 in the Sepulveda Pass, it’s best to check. These are challenges that we will have to live with for the next few years. Rather than send you a very long document (approximately 20 pages) with the complete timeline for the entire construction project on the 405 from beginning to end that you may not want, I will be more than happy to email it to you if you wish, or here is the link so that you can download it. It is very well done and very interesting and informative. Please let me know either via e- ceschiffer@aol.com or give me a call at 310 442-1384, and I will be more than happy to mail, send it along. If you wish to download it, the link is http://www.metro.net/projects_studies/I405/images/I-405_spwp_CAC_meeting_april.pdf

This is welcomed news. As I have pointed out to you for the past 18 months, foreclosures in your neighborhood can have a very negative impact on home values. Bank-owned homes usually sell for as much as 30% less that corresponding home values in any neighborhood, thus dramatically bringing down nearby home values through the comparison process. New data shows that as the federal government and big lenders step up efforts to keep troubled borrowers in their home, foreclosures are being delayed.

Mortgage default notices — the first step toward foreclosure — plunged 40.2% statewide in the first three months of the year compared with the same period in 2009, according to San Diego research firm MDA Dataquick. Foreclosure sales dropped 1.7% from a year earlier and 16.1% from the last three months of 2009, according to Dataquick. The numbers suggest that the housing market won’t be flooded by a fresh wave of bank repossessions, which had been seen as a major threat to the market’s recovery. So, this is good news.

What is even better news is that according to Stuart A. Gabriel, director of UCLA’s Ziman Center for Real Estate said the declining foreclosure numbers are “consistent with a broad range of indicators that are suggestive of not only a healing economy but the beginning of healing in the housing market.”

On top of this, Southern California home prices jumped 14% in March 2010 from the same month a year ago. All of this portends to stronger real estate market on the Westside. While we have all seen bank-owned homes on the market, the major concentration of foreclosures and short sales are not in West Los Angeles proper.

Single women are making their presence felt in residential housing. Last year, single women snapped up one of every five homes sold. That’s nearly 1.500,000 homes! The trend, according to USA Today, is striking because in 1981, the number of single women and single men home buyers was virtually the same. But since then, the number of women buyers has almost doubled. The factors leading to this shift in home buyer profiles is that both women and men are marrying later. Women, on the average, now wait until they’re 26 to walk down the aisle. Women tend to live longer, meaning they have inheritances to spend, and they’re increasingly spending it on new housing, In the latest statistics available, single women who purchased homes were 21% of the total housing market vs. just 9% for single men. (Source: National Board of Realtors)

Tell me if this scenario sounds familiar: When you moved into your home, your shower had great water pressure. You enjoyed decompressing before or after work in your shower, washing away the stress of the day. However, lately you’ve noticed that it’s not as enjoyable as it used to be. The water pressure just isn’t the same.

Well, it’s probably not your water pressure that’s changed. Odds are, your showerhead has become clogged due to hard water deposits.

Hard water is water that is high in mineral content — elements such as calcium and magnesium among others. Hard water isn’t harmful to your health, but over time, its minerals can build up inside pipes and cause clogs. You can check to see how hard your water is by lathering your soap or shower gel — the lower amount of bubbles and suds, the harder the water.

With hard water deposits in your showerhead, a once-long, luxurious shower could be reduced to a drippy annoyance. You’ll know that you have a clogged showerhead because the shower stream will become less consistent or the water pressure will begin to decrease.

Luckily there are a few solutions to unclogging a showerhead —

Solution #1: Denture tabletsYes, denture tablets! If someone in your home already has denture tabs laying around you don’t even need a trip to the store to fix this one.

1. Remove your showerhead if possible. You don’t have to do this, but it will make things much easier. Most showerheads can be removed by hand without screws, but check to see if there are any screws first before removing. If you can’t remove the shower head by simply turning it, use a pair of pliers or a pipe wrench. a. Get a bucket and fill it with water about halfway full with warm water. b. Drop 2-4 tablets into the water and wait a minute for them to effervesce. c. Place the showerhead into the water and soak for several hour. Use a small brush or an old toothbrush to scrub the shower holes clean. d. Rinse with water and put your shower head back in place.

Solution #2: White vinegarOnce again, you probably won’t need to venture out to the store for this one. Get a bucket or large bowl and remove your showerhead as instructed previously. You can also use a larger plastic bag and fasten it with a rubber band at the top.

a. Fill your bucket or bag with the white vinegar; about a pint if possible. b. Submerge your showerhead and allow a few hours for soaking. c. Remove the showerhead and scrub with a toothbrush or small brush. d. Rinse with water and re-attach.

That’s it! And if your showerhead is stubborn, there’s no harm in trying both options together.

Now you can get back to making that shower the most enjoyable part of your day.